six legged cow - polymelia (india)

six legged cow - polymelia (india)

This calf has two extra legs attached to the top of her neck.­ This is a birth defect called Polymelia, where conjoint twins starts developing but one twin degenerated completely except for one or more limbs, which end up attached to the other twin.­

With cows, the one or two extra limbs are often attached to the top of the cow's neck.­ This extra legs are shrunken, deformed and non-functional, and they get strange long nails (since the nails on normal cow legs get worn by walking).­

In India, when a calf is born with extra leg or two, this is like winning the jackpot: those 5 legged and 6 legged cows are seen are very holy, and the owner will parade them around and receive donations from Hindu devotees.­

These two calves (one with 5 legs, and the other one with 6 legs) were transported around the city in a specially designed motor rickshaw, covered with images of the famous "Sai Baba" (not sure why).­